Essays: Portraits of The Population

“I don’t think we yet know how the impact of immigration raids and other policies around immigration are playing out in terms of migratory movements,” says Michael Fix, the senior vice president and director of studies at the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute. “But we are definitely seeing a pattern when you look at English-language learners that shows those states that were rising like a steep ramp are now beginning to plateau.”

While the flow may be slowing, a population of immigrant families is now dispersed widely throughout the country and continues to pose challenges for states still learning how best to provide for their needs, including English-language instruction.